Sinfully Entangled With My Mentors

Freya

~

The alarm screeched at 5:45 AM, dragging me out of the only peace I'd know... sleep. Same routine... wake up, prepare for school, make breakfast, get bullied, then go to work.

Only one thing made today different; I was eighteen. Not that it changed anything, but I'd been looking forward to this age.

After making breakfast for everyone, I took the earliest bus to school. On the ride, I quickly checked my mailbox on my laptop to see if any college had accepted my application.

Please...any college...just one.

But, it was all blank and empty. I sighed, dropping the laptop back in my bag pack. I've been for five days now, but still nothing. I knew I couldn't give up so easily.

The bus stopped right in front of school. HARTLEY High, a school I only got to attend through a scholarship. The rich kids bullied me every day, but I couldn't revolt against elites. Could I?

Shoulders barged into mine as I walked through the hallway to the classroom. I kept my head down, trying to remain invisible.

***

"It sounds like your life is pretty tough right now."

That's what the school counselor said yesterday, as if I didn't already know.

Ms. Carter, the school counselor, tapped her pen against her chipped mug. "Freya, If you continue like this, you won't finish senior year. Even if you apply to any college, your slipping results won't let you in."

I used to be the brightest student-the one always getting A's, the one teachers trusted to tutor others. But life happened.

And now, I was almost barely average. I sat across from her, hands folded tightly in my lap, trying not to cry while she offered me lukewarm tea and a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"You've got a lot on your plate, Freya."

No kidding, I whispered.

Everyday, my alarm buzzed at 5:45 AM. I prepared breakfast for my foster family, went to school, and work part-time at a coffee shop.

Yes, I have no parents. They died long ago. How? Well, I couldn't really remember. All I remember was that Dad asked me to sleep over at my friend's place, and then the next morning, when he and Mom were supposed to pick me up, they suddenly vanished.

The police said it was a faulty bridge collapse.The car sank and they became fish food, never seen again.

I was taken to an orphanage and later adopted by a loving couple. Well, at least they used to be. Until they gave birth to a daughter, Cherry. Since then, I've been mistreated and treated like a maid.

And at school, I kept my head down. Hoping no one notices my existence. Because, If they did, it never ended well.

Today, I found rotten food in my locker–again. But this time, instead of swallowing my anger, I clenched my fists so hard my nails left crescents in my palms. Something inside me cracked. I couldn't keep living like this.

Though I didn't make a fuss about it. It's not like I could pick a fight with families who ruled this city.

"Eww, the scholarship student stinks." I could hear whispers behind me.

How I fell from grace– from the top student to an average one, working part-time, being bullied at home and school. The world wasn't fair to me.

"What a loser!" Someone whispered as he walked past my locker.

My only hope and light for a fresh start was college. As I filled out my last college application, Tiffany nudged my elbow.

"You really think you'll get out of here?" She whispered.

I forced a smile, but my trembling hands betrayed me. "I have to try. It's all I have."

I remember Tiffany was the one who added the last option, saying it was a good university too, so why not try my luck?

I didn't think much of it. I only added it because the application required four choices.

A sink full of dishes and an angry Cherry welcomed me home. I hated Cherry being angry because I knew she'd vent it all on me.

"And why are you here this late? My laundry isn't done yet and I still have plenty of homework for you to do. You'd better get to work!" She gave orders like a tyrant.

I frowned but couldn't complain. If I did, she'd report me to her mother, Loretta. I spent over an hour completing all the chores she assigned for me to do.

While preparing dinner, my mind wandered back to my application. If only one university could pick me, I'd be very happy. That would bring an end to my suffering here.

The aroma of the chicken I was frying filled my nostrils, but I couldn't taste it. Loretta, my foster mom, would kill me if she found out. "You don't need meat, you've already got so much in your brain," Loretta said to me one Christmas evening. She made me kneel in the snow while I watched them eat warm food inside. She didn't let me in till the neighbors begged.

I couldn't sit at the dining table with them during dinner. I wasn't part of their family, I was just an extension. A burden.

I watched them laugh and talk while I ate cold beans in the kitchen that night. After dinner, I was too tired to do anything. My back ached and my hands were sore.

Feeling parched, I went to the kitchen to get some water.

"What are you doing there?" It was Kelvin, my foster father.

"I... I needed water." I stammered.

"You better not be causing any trouble. I can't clean up after your mess," he said before walking away. I was sure if I ever got in trouble, he'd leave me for dead.

The next morning, after attending to Cherry's needs and listening to Loretta's whining, I went to school. The day passed really quickly. All my thoughts were on my application.

After all our classes were over, I checked my inbox again.

I swallowed hard as I opened my inbox. My heart pounded with anticipation, the weight of my entire future resting on what appeared on the screen.

One unread message.

I clicked on it, hands shaking.

I stared at the screen, my breath catching in my throat. The words blurred for a moment as I blinked away tears of relief.

"Congratulations, Freya Moore! We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Moonclaw University!"

Wait... Moonclaw?

I sat up straighter, scrolling through the email again, searching for any mistake. I had expected to see Evergreen, my dream school-the one me and Tiffany dreamed of going to. But instead, here was Moonclaw University, the last school on my list.

Where even was Moonclaw University?

I didn't remember much about it. In fact, I barely recalled why I added it to my applications in the first place. Did I research it properly? Was it even a good school? The name sounded unfamiliar, almost mysterious.

But still...

I was accepted.

For the first time in years, someone said yes to me. A way out. A new beginning.

I took a deep breath to focus on that thought alone. Maybe Moonclaw University wasn't my dream school, but it was a door, and I was ready to step through it.

A breath I didn't know I was holding rushed out of me in a shaky exhale. Tears burned behind my eyes, but I let them fall, uncaring if anyone saw. For the first time in years, hope didn't feel like an impossible dream.

This was my chance.

My escape.

My beginning.

Now, I just had to make it through the last few months here.

Freya

~

My heart stopped when I glanced at the time on my watch.

Late.

Again.

Without a second thought, I grabbed my bag and sprinted down the street, my breath coming in short, desperate gasps. The cold air whipped against my skin, but I didn't slow down-not even when my legs protested with sharp aches.

By the time I burst through the café doors, Mr. Grayson stood behind the counter, arms crossed, expression tight with irritation.

"You're late," he said flatly.

"I... I'm sorry," I panted, pushing strands of hair from my damp forehead. "I-"

"I don't want excuses. You'll do a double shift today to make up for it. Get moving."

I wanted to protest. To say something-anything-but I knew better. This job was the only thing keeping me from completely drowning. Without it, I had nothing.

So I simply nodded, grabbed an apron, and set to work.

The routine was mind-numbing-making coffee, wiping down tables, scrubbing dishes until my fingers wrinkled. Every movement was mechanical, as if I was programmed to do the same thing over and over.

I glanced at the door, watching people come and go, laughter in their voices, freedom in their steps.

I'm eighteen now. Shouldn't something 'exciting' happen?

Shouldn't life be different?

But as I cleaned another table, dragging a rag across the stained wooden surface, I sighed.

Nothing had changed.

Nothing at all.

The sharp chime of the bell above the café door startled me out of my daydream. My feet ached, my hands smelled of dish soap, and my apron was stained from hours of making coffee, wiping tables, and scrubbing countertops.

I was exhausted.

And yet, the moment I turned to face the new customers, my stomach twisted into knots.

It was them.

The rich kids from Hartley High. My tormentors. The ones who reminded me daily that I was beneath them.

I gripped the tray in my hands, willing myself to stay calm. My boss, Mr. Grayson, gave me a sharp look from behind the counter. "Quit standing there and get moving, Moore! You're already behind schedule."

The bullies laughed, their cruel laughter cutting through the café's warm atmosphere like a blade.

I swallowed my pride, forced my feet to move, and approached their table.

"What do you want?" I asked, keeping my voice steady despite the heat creeping up my neck.

"Look who it is-the scholarship loser," Manson Reynolds drawled, his eyes flicking over my stained apron. "Bet the tips here barely cover your bus fare, huh?"

His friends laughed, and I clenched my fists inside my apron pocket.

"We'll take five caramel frappes," Mason said, tapping the menu lazily. "And make sure mine's perfect, or else I'll make sure Grayson knows what an incompetent mess you are."

I stood still, a frown on my face. Something moved within me. I don't know what it was, but I was tired of living a boring, controlled and miserable life.

"You want frappes? Go make it yourself!" I threw my apron on his face. "I quit."

"Wh–what are you doing Moore? Make the damn frappes!" Mason roared.

I turned towards him, angered. "Are you deaf? I said I quit."

He was too stunned to speak and I was too angry to stay. I left the cafe in a fit of rage.

The bell above the café door jingled as I stepped outside, stretching my sore fingers and rolling my stiff shoulders. My body felt heavy with exhaustion, but my mind buzzed restlessly.

I was eighteen. Shouldn't something exciting happen?

I sighed, pulling my jacket tighter around myself as I walked down the street. Then, a flicker of movement caught my eye.

A cat.

Not just any cat, a black stray with dark stripes running along its sleek body. It sat at the edge of the sidewalk, its green eyes watching me, unblinking.

I crouched slightly, extending my hand. "It's just you and me, abandoned by the world. I'll take care of you."

But before I could take a step closer, the cat bolted.

"Hey! Wait-"

Without thinking, I chased after it, weaving through narrow streets and quiet alleyways. My breath came in quick bursts, my footsteps echoing against damp brick walls.

Finally, the cat stopped-its tail flicking, its body motionless.

Between two tall buildings, hidden within the shadows, stood something impossible.

A door.

No hinges, no frame. Just... standing alone. Suspended in the air as if it had always been there.

I froze, my heart pounding in my ears.

The cat didn't hesitate–it jumped forward, disappearing through the door's shimmering surface.

I stared, my pulse quickening.

Something deep inside me stirred.

Something familiar.

I took a breath. Then another.

And before I could talk myself out of it, I stepped forward.

Freya

~

The moment I stepped through the door, the world shifted.

One second, I was standing in a dark alley, my breath heavy from chasing the striped stray cat. Next, I was somewhere...else.

The air was filled with an energy I had never felt before. It wasn't cold, it wasn't warm-just different. My feet landed on solid ground, yet I wasn't sure if it was stone or something more alive. The scent of damp earth and ancient wood filled my lungs.

I looked around, trying to grasp where I had ended up. The sky above me wasn't the dull grey of the city but a deep shade of violet.

The cat sat a few feet ahead, tail flicking, watching me with knowing eyes.

"What is this place?" I whispered, more to myself than to the animal.

I stepped forward, my heartbeat loud in the silence, and as I did, a low hum filled the air. It was coming from something. From everywhere.

Then, the door behind me-this impossible, floating door-vanished.

I sucked in a sharp breath.

No way back.

No turning around.

I was here.

And whatever this place was, it felt like it had been waiting for me.

"This is a dream," I whispered to myself. "I have to be dreaming. Freya, you need to wake up. Soon."

Then I heard a strange noise. A clang-metallic and rhythmic-like the sound of a gate.

I followed it, my worn-out shoes sinking slightly into the damp earth with every step.

The fog cleared just enough to reveal large set of iron gates, with the image of a falcon carved into the center.

They were as tall as the trees around them-and twice as scary.

Something deep inside me screamed to turn back. But curiosity... Curiosity made me walk closer.

With a shaky hand, I touched the gate.To my surprise, it groaned and creaked-then slowly swung open on its own.

I hesitated.

Is this some kind of bad dream I'm stuck in? This can't be real... right?

But the cold felt real. And so did the tight knot twisting in my stomach. Before I could decide whether to run or step through, two massive figures emerged from the fog.

They didn't look human.

Too tall.

Too broad.

Glowing tattoo-like marks covered their bare arms.Their eyes held no warmth-just endless darkness.

One of them grunted something in a language I didn't understand.

Then the other grabbed my arm. Not violently, but firm enough that I knew resistance was pointless.

"Hey!" I protested, struggling. "Where are you taking me?"

They didn't answer. The one on my left muttered something again, and I thought I heard a name-something that sounded ghostly...

"Let's go!" the other one barked.

My heart pounded. Everything was happening too fast. They dragged me forward, toward a structure just beyond the gates.

It looked like a building, but not any kind I had ever seen.It had spires like a castle, towers that clawed at the sky.The stones were dark. The windows are strange.Vines twisted up the walls, but they weren't green. They were coal-black.

It reminded me of those ancient hunted castles from storybooks.

I swallowed hard.

"This has to be a dream," I whispered. "There's no way this is real."

The inside wasn't any more comforting.

The doors slammed shut behind us with a thunderous boom. They led me down a hallway lit by flickering torches-yes, actual torches-and strange runes that shimmered faintly on the walls.

The hallway stretched endlessly. With every step, the air grew heavier, like the entire building was watching me.

Finally, we reached a door carved with the same falcon and runes I'd seen on the gate. One of the guards knocked three times.

"Enter," said a voice. Soft, but commanding.

The door swung open on its own.

Inside sat a woman behind a desk. She looked no older than thirty.

But her eyes... Her eyes weren't like anything I had ever seen. They were sharp and violet.

Her auburn hair was tied in a neat bun, and her deep green robe shimmered with moving symbols.

"I'll take it from here," she said calmly to the guards.

They released me and vanished without a word.

I rubbed my sore arm and looked around. The office wasn't too bright-dimly lit, with three walls lined with floating books and scrolls that organized themselves in mid-air.

The ceiling was a swirling vortex of stars-an illusion, but mesmerizing nonetheless.

"Freya Moore," the woman said, looking directly at me. "Welcome."

I blinked. "You know my name?"

She smiled gently, like a teacher pleased with a child's curiosity. "I'm Eva Morgen. Dean of Admissions and Orientation. You've arrived at Moon claw university."

I stared at her. "Moonclaw-what? I... I didn't apply to any-wait. No. That was a throwaway option. I only submitted an application because I needed four."

Eva nodded, hands folded neatly on the desk. "Yes. The last option. The one you didn't want to accept."

"How do you know about that?"

"Oh, Freya," she said softly. "I've always been watching you. Monitoring your activities in the human world. And I must say-you weren't treated well there."

"Is this some joke? Or a dream?" My voice trembled. "This isn't real. I'm stuck in some kind of trance, right?"

"Oh, it's very real," Eva replied, her eyes glinting strangely. "You were always meant to arrive here. As per the terms of the binding-once you turned eighteen, the portal would find you. And here you are."

I blinked rapidly. "Portal? Binding? I didn't bind anything with anyone! I'm... I'm just human!"

Silence stretched between us like cracking ice.

Eva tilted her head, studying me. "You think you're just human."

My chest rose and fell quickly. "I am human. I go to high school. I work at a café. I take care of my foster family. I've never even been on a plane-and now I'm in some gothic wizard Hogwarts knockoff being told I was meant to be here?"

"You may feel human now-or think you are-but you're not," Eva said quietly. "You are more than that, Freya. What you are has simply been... dormant."

Without realizing it, I dropped into a chair across from her. My hands trembled in my lap.

"This is insane," I muttered.

Eva didn't respond right away. She reached for a quill and scribbled something into a floating book.

"It will take time for you to adjust," she said finally. "Your powers will begin to awaken. It starts with small-unusual dreams, accidental manipulation of emotions. Soon, the human shell will fall away. Your true essence will emerge."

I stared at her like she'd grown horns.

"Why now?" I whispered. "Why when I just turned eighteen?"

"Because a binding spell to the human world was placed on you," Eva answered. "It was only broken when you turned eighteen. Like I said, I've been watching you. You weren't cursed, Freya. But the suffering you experienced in the human world-that was part of the calling. You were placed in the wrong world... temporarily."

"Everything was for a purpose," she continued. "This is your purpose."

I stood up abruptly. "This is too much. I need to wake up from this dream."

"Freya, this isn't a dream," she said firmly.

"What about the cat?"

"Well," she said, with a faint smile, "I sent him to bring you here."

"What!" I shouted. "Okay, that's enough. All of this is too much. You've got the wrong girl. I need to go back to the human world. I'm sure my father-"

"Must be worried sick?" Eva finished for me, cutting me off. "He doesn't care anymore, Freya. There's nothing left for you in that world. This is your home now-whether you like it or not."

"If you won't take me back, then I'll find a way myself," I said, voice shaking.

Eva's lips curled in a knowing smile. "No one has ever escaped before, Freya. Those who tried... well, some never made it out of the forest. Graduation is your only hope."

My heart hammered. Was I truly trapped here, forever cut off from my family?"

"I'm dreaming," I whispered, pressing my fingers to my temples. "Please let me wake up."

A knock interrupted us.

"Come in," Eva said.

I turned, blinking twice as a tall, beautiful figure stepped inside. No-not just beautiful. He was breathtaking.

"Hello Dean?" You asked for me."

"Freya Moore," Eva said, standing from her seat, "meet your new mentor-Kristen Blackwood. He's a wolf shifter and just transferred to this school... because of you."

"Me?" I echoed, startled.

"Yes, Freya. You."I looked up at him. His golden eyes glowed and locked with mine, and I felt a jolt-like lightning racing through my veins, and something shimmered beneath the surface. There was a pull-something I couldn't explain, something that tightened in my chest.